Lawyer sentenced to a year in jail

A Carlsbad attorney was sentenced to a year in county jail for stealing more than $112,000 from her clients, culminating what the victims called “five years of hell” caused by the attorney’s crimes.

Superior Court Judge Kimberlee Lagotta handed down the sentence one month after Patricia Gregory pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement and two misdemeanors, admitting that she had stolen from her clients, Luwain Ng and Denise Doll.

In addition to jail time, Lagotta sentenced Gregory to five years probation. A hearing on how much Gregory will be ordered to pay the victims in restitution will be held March 26.

Gregory stood solemnly as Lagotta ruled against her attorney’s request that her jail sentence be stayed, saying, “Yes, your honor,” on several occasions.

Ng and Doll, the women who had been brought together by Gregory’s crimes, shed tears and held each other’s hands as sheriff’s deputy placed orange handcuffs on Gregory, who was wearing a black pinstriped suit.

“Hallelujah, thank you Jesus,” Ng said after court when asked how she felt when Lagotta handed down the sentence. “And I’m not even a religious person.”

Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson echoed Ng’s sentiments.

“I think it’s great,” she said of the sentence. “She betrayed the trust and the public’s trust. People turn to attorneys at the most difficult times of their lives. You should honor that trust, not steal your client’s life savings.”

The Watchdog featured Gregory in a story in September about lawyers facing such accusations with the State Bar, who are not prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office.

Two weeks later, the D.A. charged Gregory with 11 felonies for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from Ng and Doll, and practicing law without a license.

Before Lagotta’s sentencing, Gregory’s attorney Sean Leslie implored the judge to impose probation with a stayed jail sentence, arguing that before her transgressions Gregory, 62, had no criminal history and was a hardworking attorney. Leslie provided the court with 20 letters vouching for Gregory’s character.

Gregory, he said, had already suffered enough punishment — the State Bar Court recommended disbarment in March 2011, and she has filed bankruptcy.

“She admitted what she did was wrong,” Leslie said, referring to statements Gregory made to the probation department before the sentencing. “She’s been severely punished already.”

Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson argued that those factors — her age, lack of criminal history and age of the crime — were taken into account with the reduced plea agreement. Ng and Doll then told the court how Gregory’s crimes had affected them.

Ng was forced to sell her home and withdraw money early from her retirement account. Doll and her son were relegated to living in hotels over the past three years.

The women implored Lagotta to hand down the stiffest possible sentence. Under the plea agreement with prosecutors, Gregory faced no more than a year in jail, although the counts carried a maximum three-year prison sentence.

Ng urged Lagotta to sentence her to prison.

“She stole the American dream, my dream,” Ng said after the sentencing. “She put me through hell for five years... Anything less than prison would signal to others that the system has failed.”

Lagotta, in her ruling, sided with the victims.

“It is clear to the court that (Gregory) violated, in an aggravated manner, the ethical and fiduciary responsibilities to her clients,” Lagotta said. “She dealt a severe financial and emotional blow to her clients... and that conduct deserves the maximum sanction.”